Lawn-mower.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

E w MoGUIRE LAWN MOWER. APPLICATION FILED P313, 1908.

nrrn STEAdlE ELWQOD W. MCGUIRE, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

LAWN-MOXVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. June 16, 1908.

Application filed February 3, 1908. Serial No. 414,053.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELwooi) W. MCGUIRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at vRichmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers, of whichthe following is a specification.

M y invention relates to an improvement in the cutting apparatusexemplified by a lawn mower in the drawings.

The object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting orspringing up the middle portion of the cutter to proper positionrelative to the coacting cutters.

The features of my invention are more fully set forth in the descriptionof the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the lawn mower.Fig. 2 is a section on line a, .r, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear plan view ofthe cutter support and tension device. Fig. 5 is a similar view of amodification. Fig. 4 is a section on line w, w, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is asection throu h the tension adjusting device on one end of the deviceshown in Fig. 5.

I have found by experience that in the operation of lawn mowers thestiff stubble con stantly striking against the under side of the cutterand its support gradually bend upwardly the middle portion thereof. As aconsequence the rotary cutters quickly wear away the middle portion ofthe stationary cutter, leaving a gap at this point which destroys theshearing action. This is evidenced by the failure of the mower to cutevenly, the grass being left higher in a line corresponding to the pathof the middle portion of the stationary bar. I have entirely overcomethis defect in a very simple manner, namely, by providing an adjustabletension device adapted to exert pressure upon the middle portion of thestationary cutter. As a result when the middle portion of the cutterbecomes worn this tension device may be adjusted to throw up, by aflexing action, this middle portion of the stationary cutter and itssupport, so that the cutters will cooperate as perfectly as when themower is entirely new.

The preferred features of the invention are disclosed in the drawings,in which 1 represents the wheels, 2 the side frame supporting the usualactuating mechanism for rotating the cutters 3.

4 represents the usual rear pressing roller.

6 represents the lower or stationary cutter held by a support 5. Thissupport has a rearwardly extending ear at each end, marked 7,,in whichis inserted a tension rod 8.

9 represents an eye support through which the rod 8 passes.

10 represents an ear rearwardly projected from the middle portion of theback of the support 5. It has an adjusting screw 11 threaded therein,the lower end of which bears against the middle portion of the support9. i

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the rod 8 is bent under a pin 12 onthe rear portion of the support, and one end of this rod 8 is providedwith an adjusting nut 13 screw threaded upon the rod 8, as shown in Fig.6, the tightening of which exerts tension on the pin 12 and springsupwardly the middle portion of the support and its stationary cutter.

It will be seen that the same flexing action is effected by tighteningup the screw 11 of Fig. 3.

The straining rod 8 and the adjusting bolt 11 being sup orted by the ear10 at the central point 0 the lower cutterbar, serve as a centralsupport for the same, as well as providing ready means for adjusting theparallelism of the knives by flexing the central portion of the lowerknife support.

This device is extremely simple, cheap and efficient, and it vastlyincreases the life of the machine and insures its uniform and perfectcutting action.

Having described my invention, I claim 2 1. A device of the classdescribed, comprising a movable cutter cooperating with a stationarycutter rigidly supported at each end, means intermediate said supportsfor springing the middle portion of the stationary cutter in a directionfor properly coop crating with the movable cutter, substantially asdescribed.

2. A device of the class described, comprising movable and stationarycutters, and compression means for the middle portion of the stationarycutter intermediate its supports, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described, comstationary cutter rigidlysupported at each end, compression means intermediate said supportsadapted to'exert pressure between the ends of the cutter bar to springthe middle portion thereof to proper position, substantially asdescribed.

prising movable cutters cooperating with a 4. In a device of the classdescribed, a stationary cutter ri idly supported at each end, and anadjustab e compression device intermediate said supports for the middleportion of said cutter, substantially as described.

5. A cutter bar for a lawn mower, having means intermediate its supportsfor springing the middle portion thereof relative to the ends,substantially as described.

6. A cutter bar for a lawn mower, having a tension rod connecting theopposite ends, and an adjusting device adapted to operate upon themiddle ortions of the bar and rod, substantially as escribed.

7. A cutter, and a support therefor, a tension rod connecting the endsof the support, and means for exerting compression be tween the middleortions of said support and rod, substantia ly as described.

8. A device of the class described, com prising a movable and stationarycutter, means for rigidly supporting the ends of the stationary cutter,and means intermediate said supports for straining the middle portionthereof, substantially as described.

9. A cutter bar for lawn mowers, a stationary cutter supported thereon,and means carried by the cutter bar intermediate its supports formaintaining the cutter in a horizontal plane, substantially asdescribed.

10. A cutter bar for a lawn mower, having means for deflecting themiddle portion thereof, said means being carried wholly by said bar.

11. A cutter bar for a lawn mower, having means for deflecting themiddle portion thereof, said means comprising a rod carried by said bar,and means on said cutter bar for regulating the tension of said rod.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ELWOOD W. MCGUIRE.

Witnesses:

OLIVER B. KAISER, LEE J. ODONNELL.

